Electrically driven cleaning device with work supporting switch actuator



Dec. 16, 1958 F. D. GERBER 2,864,103

ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN CLEANING DEVICE WITH WORK SUPPORTING, SWITCHACTUATOR Filed July 29, 1957 7T M v :38 7

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2 /5' 4-0 1 Q 'IP T 45- United States Patent ELECTRICALLY DRIVENCLEANING DEVICE WORK SUPPORTING SWITCH ACTU- This invention relates to anovel device of simple construction forcleaning the tips of solderingirons or tapered pointed ends of other elements or instruments andincluding rotary driven brushes between which the tip to be cleaned ispositioned, for accomplishing the cleaning operation.

More particularly, it is an aim of the present invention to provide anovel actuating unit which is operated in response to movement of a tipto be cleaned to a position to be engaged by the brushes to effectoperation of a power source by means of which the brushes are driven,and which power source is rendered inoperative by removal of the tipfrom the cleaner.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a tip cleaner ofextremely simple construction and which is capable of functioningefficiently for quickly cleaning metal tips or pointed ends of solderingirons and other instruments.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafterbecome more fully apparent from the following description of thedrawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, andwherein:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view, partly in side elevation,showing the soldering iron tip cleaner;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view, takensubstantially along a plane as indicated by the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan view, partly in horizontal sectionand partly broken away;

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view illustrating a part ofthe cleaner, and

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view of the electric circuit of the cleanermotor.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the soldering iron tipcleaner in its entirety is designated generally 7 and includes a casing,designated generally 8, composed of a relatively thick base 9 and a hood10. The hood 10 has an open bottom 11 which fits snugly around themarginal edges of the base 9 and is detachably secured thereto as byscrew fastenings 12. An electric motor 13, constituting the prime moverof the cleaner 7, is disposed in the casing 8 and rests on the base 9.The motor 13 is secured immovably to the base 9 by means of anglebrackets 14, only one of which is shown, which are secured by fastenings15 to the base 9 and to the casing of the motor 13.

A plate 16 extends across and is secured to the upper portion of thefront wall 17 of the motor casing and is disposed above the armatureshaft 18 of said motor, which extends outwardly through the front wall17. The plate 16 supports the two forwardly opening bearing sockets 19and 20 which are longitudinally spaced relative to one another withrespect to the plate 16, and which are transversely spaced relative tothe axis of the motor 13, so that the bearing sockets 19 and 2d! aredisposed above and laterally spaced from the armature shaft 13, as bestseen in Figure 3.

Corresponding ends of a pair of shafts 21 and 22 are journaled in thebearings 19 and 20. Such shafts 21 and 22 extendforwardly from saidbearings and have their forward ends journaled in bearing sockets 23 and24, respectively, which are detachably mounted in the front wall 25 ofthe hood 10. Each bearing socket 23 and 24 includes an externallythreaded body 26 which extends inwardly through an opening 27 of thewall 25 and which has an enlarged outer end forming a head 28, whichbears against the outer side of the wall 25 around the opening 27thereof. A nut 29 threadedly engages the body 26 and is tightenedagainst the inner side of the wall 25 to hold the bearing socket securedto the hood 10. Each body member 26 has a rearwardly opening socket 30in which the forward end of the shaft 21 or 22 is journaled. I

Belt pulleys 31 are secured to the shafts 21 and 22 and in the samevertical plane as the belt pulley 32 which is secured to the armatureshaft 18. An endless belt 33 is trained around said belt pulleys 31 and32 for driving the shafts 21 and 22 from the motor shaft 18.

Rotary brushes 34 and 35 are mounted on and fixed to the shafts 21 and22, respectively, between the belt pulleys 31 and the front bearings 23and 24. Each rotary brush includes a hub 36 which is fixed to the shaftthereof and a mass of wire bristles 37 which are anchored in the hub 36and which radiate therefrom and completely surround the hub.

The front wall 25 is provided with a vertically elongated opening 38which is disposed between the upper portions of the brushes 34 and 35.An electric switch 39 is secured by fastenings 41 to the inner side ofthe lower portion of the wall 25 and is provided with a leaf springelement 41 which is secured at 42 near one end thereof to a part of theswitch 39 and which has an unsecured free end disposed beneath theopening 38 and provided with a pair of spaced upstanding ears 43. Theswitch 39 constitutes a normally opened switch and is moved to a circuitclosing position by downward movement of the free end of the switchelement 41, which element 41 is normally spring biased upwardly to itsposition as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

A switch actuator 44 is preferably formed of a strand of wire which isbent upon itself to form a rod portion 45 having a lower end which ispivotally connected at 46 to the cars 43 and which extends upwardly fromthe resilient element 41 slidably through a guide 47, which is securedto the inner side of the front wall 25 below the opening 38. The upperend of the actuator 44 forms an upwardly opening bifurcated or forkedportion 48 which is disposed on the inner side of and in alignment withthe opening 38.

As illustrated diagrammatically in Figure 5, the electric switch 39 isinterposed in one conductor 49 of the electric circuit by means of whichthe motor 13 is connectedtto a source of electric current 50. The switch39 normally maintains the motor 13 deenergized.

The tip 51 of a soldering iron 52 is adapted to be inserted through theopening 38 above the bifurcated portion 48 to position the tapered endof the tip between upper portions of the peripheries of the brushes 34and 35. A downward displacement of the soldering iron tip 51 to causethe tapered end thereof to be contacted by the peripheries of the twobrushes 34 and 35 will result in the tip 51 exerting a downward force onthe fork portion 48 to move the actuator 44 downwardly and thus springthe resilient element 41 downwardly for causing the switch 39 to assumea circuit closing position so that the motor 13 is thus energized fordriving the rotary brushes 34 and 35 which then function to clean, byscraping and abrading, the soldering iron tip 51. The tip 51 may berotated and rocked while in engagement with the fork portion 48 toeffect a complete cleaning thereof by the brushes 34 and 35. When thesoldering iron tip 51 is thereafter removed from the cleaner 7 theresiliency of the switch element 41 will cause said element to resumeits position of Figure 2 so that the switch 39 will resume a circuitinterrupting position for de-energizing the motor 13, and so that theactuator 44 will be lifted and supported in an elevated position by saidswitch element 41.

It will be understood that the current source 50 may constitute anordinary domestic electrical outlet. It will also be understood that thecleaner '7 is adapted for cleaning various other item in addition tosoldering iron tips and which may be cleaned by the abrading action ofthe wire bristles 37. 7

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may be resortedto, without departing from the func tion or scope of the invention ashereinafter defined by the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

A soldering iron tip cleaner comprising a housing, an electric motormounted in the housing, a pair of circular brushes driven by theelectric motor, journal means supporting the brushes within the housingand substantially coplanar with portions of the brush peripheries inclose adjacency to one another, said housing having a wall provided withan opening disposed adjacent said peripheral portions of the brushes andadapted to loosely accommodate a part of a soldering iron, a normallyopen electric switch for the motor supported by said wall beneath theopening and having a downwardly displaceable part for closing theswitch, a switch actuator having a lower end connected to said switchpart, means slidably connecting the switch actuator to said wall, andsaid switch actuator having an upwardly opening bifurcated upper enddisposed between said opening and said brush portions and adapted toprovide a rest for the soldering iron when the soldering iron tip is inengagement with said brush portions and whereby the switch actuator isdisplaced downwardly to effect closing of the electric switch.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,934,144 Reiser Nov. 7, 1933 2,248,205 Stobbe July 8, 1941 2,274,309Velton Feb. 24, 1942 2,704,856 Jones Mar. 29, 1955 2,793,473 Hickman May28, 1957

